Can you believe it’s 2024? Final Fantasy 7 Is it still a massive entry within the larger Final Fantasy series? It all started in 1997 when Square Enix released the original FF7 on PlayStation 1, complete with 3D graphics. Fast forward about 27 years It is now one of the most acclaimed video games of all time and has seen numerous adaptations and spin-offs since its initial release.
Here you will find a short selection of the available options Final Fantasy 7 fans. You can play the original RPG ported to modern consoles. There’s the wonderfully cheesy CGI film Advent children, which takes place two years after the events of the original game. Supporting character Zack Fair even has a whole damn prequel that takes place before the events Final Fantasy 7 the Square Enix remastered. Other characters like Tifa and Aerith don’t have their own games, but do have entire novels in which they tell their backstories. And none of these examples touch on the various re-releases of the original Final Fantasy 7 and its associated offshoots.
The publication of so much Final Fantasy 7 media could cause some sort of… crisis… for fans. The creators haven’t clarified what’s canon and what’s not, and it’s gotten to an overwhelmingly Marvel level of complexity. However, it doesn’t have to be that complicated. With the publication of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, now can be a good time to take a look at older games again in preparation. In this list, we’ll give you a spoiler-free overview of which related media might enrich your experience Rebirth based on characters and storylines in the game and what the story touches on.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Where to play: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Instead of just updating the graphics, the development team at Square Enix decided to use the original Final Fantasy 7 as a source of major inspiration and split it into three different games for a full remake trilogy. The first two titles are Final Fantasy 7 Remake and now Final Fantasy Rebirth. (Square Enix has not yet released any details about the third part, but Developers say it’s on the way.) Of all the games on this list, New edition is the most important game you should play before diving into it Rebirthwhich begins immediately after the events of New edition.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake tells the story of Cloud Strife and his involvement with the insurgent group Avalanche in the city of Midgar. In addition to introducing players to the main characters you will be playing as RebirthAdditionally, it offers an intimate look at Midgar and the living conditions that result from Shinra’s rule. Rebirth starts in the middle of the action New editionjust as Cloud and his friends flee the city.
Rebirth doesn’t bother giving players a full summary of who’s who and what you need to know, even though you don’t necessarily have to play New edition to enjoy Rebirth. You get snippets of what’s happened before, so it’s probably just enough to get an idea of the key players in this world and the team’s larger mission. Still, there are just so many emotional beats that seem harder or make more sense when you play them, and if you really want to save time you can skip them New edition‘s DLC, Episode break. I personally enjoyed it, but Rebirth does a good job of showing the additional Yuffie backstory.
Final Fantasy 7 (1997)
Where to play: Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Final Fantasy 7 Remake differs from the original story told in Final Fantasy 7 The first section of the game, set in Midgar, is expanded in several ways. Rebirth deviates even more from the original story by simply completely changing the order in which the team visits certain regions and some events. For this reason, the original version of the game is not required to play and enjoy Rebirth
However, playing the original gives you a solid foundation in the characters and world that inspired the entire franchise. These games still have the same main characters and many of the locations that appear in all games. Additionally, modern ports of the game for consoles like the Nintendo Switch include numerous quality-of-life features—you can speed up battles or take advantage of combat enhancements—that make it relatively easy to beat without having to progress through levels or worry about logistics.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion
Where to play: Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is a remastered re-release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, a prequel from Square Enix that was released on PlayStation Portable about 16 years ago. Both versions of the game tell more or less the same story, following the life of Zack Fair, Cloud’s army friend, and the events that led to the beginning of Final Fantasy 7
The relationship between Crisis core And Final Fantasy 7 can be a bit confusing. New edition And Rebirth Now take the story in a different direction, so it’s unclear whether it’s a prequel to the original FF7 or the more recent trilogy of games. Square Enix’s website describes it as Prequel to the original gameBut Tetsuya Nomura also said in an interview that the team “positioned itself”. Crisis Core Reunion as a prequel” to the entire three-part remake trilogy and that the story is important.
Regardless of where it is in the timeline, you should still play it. His story shows why Zack plays such an important role in the grand scheme of things Final Fantasy 7 world and reveals much more about his relationship with Cloud. It also provides a great look into Sephiroth’s life before the events of FF7 And that’s important because his motivations determine the entire fate of the planet.
My only reservation is this: If you’ve only played New edition and are unaware of the main plot lines of the original FF7then you may want to stop playing Crisis core. Certain parts may be best experienced with the newer, reimagined story, but it’s always there if you want to immerse yourself.
Other greetings
Rebirth draws generously on the cast of characters that appear more broadly Final Fantasy 7 Universe. Maybe you meet people and are left wondering what the hell is going on or where someone is from. There’s Glenn Lodbrok, who appears as a character in the now-canceled battle royale spinoff game Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldierand appears in the free gacha game that collects multiple stories from different games, Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis. If you want more, you can try Vincent Valentine Lament of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7, but can’t be played on modern consoles, making it difficult to get. Heck, you can even brush up on some of your Midgar history by playing this Final Fantasy 7 Remake cards in PowerWash simulator.
And they’re all just video games. You can go even deeper with other media. Superfans of Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough can read one whole novel about her and delve into their entire history as characters. Last but not least, there is Advent children. I personally love this film and all of its silly antics, but I would say steer clear if you haven’t seen the original and were as blissfully unaware of a certain major plot point as I was.
Ultimately, though, approaching a game with so much “required reading” can be a bit overkill, and frankly, it’s just not feasible depending on how much free time you have. For this reason, I wouldn’t put too much pressure on experiencing everything. Start with the stories and gameplay that interest you and you can go from there. I personally recommend my friends to just play New edition, without DLC. It’s all optional and sometimes the best Final Fantasy experience is one where you just go for the mood.
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